What's New in WER

This page summarizes the new features of Windows Error Reporting (WER) for each release.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

The following list summarizes the new WER features for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

  • Adds the ability to raise an exception that bypasses all exception handlers thus terminating the application immediately and invoking Windows Error Reporting. For details, see the RaiseFailFastException function.
  • Adds the ability to register an out-of-process exception handler that WER calls when a crash occurs to collect the event name, reporting parameters, and debug launching options. For details, see the WerRegisterRuntimeExceptionModule function.

Functions that were added:

Structures that were added:

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1

The following list summarizes the new features of WER for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1).

  • WER can be configured so that full user-mode dumps are collected and stored locally after a user-mode application crashes (applications that do their own custom crash reporting, including .NET applications are not supported). For more information, see Collecting User-Mode Dumps.

Windows Vista

The following list summarizes the new features of Windows Error Reporting (WER) for Windows Vista:

  • WER has been extended beyond monitoring crashes and unresponsive processes. WER includes support for many new types of non-critical events, such as performance issues. This enables developers to learn more about the experiences their customers have with the applications they have developed.
  • New functions give developers the flexibility in creating, customizing, and submitting problem reports. For more information, see WER Functions.
  • The improved Windows Quality Online Services provides developers with access to the problem information that customers are submitting for their applications, and a mechanism to deliver solutions to these customers.
  • The functions introduced by Application Recovery and Restart and Restart Manager enable applications to automatically recover information and restart in the event of a critical failure. Developers can use these features in their applications to significantly improve their user experience.
  • Problem Reports and Solutions on Windows Vista or the Action Center on Windows 7 is the central location for users to interact with WER. Users can check for new solutions, manage their reporting history, view the details of a problem report, and manage reporting settings including enabling WER to check for solutions automatically without interrupting the user.

Windows Error Reporting